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Monday, April 14, 2014

A to Z April Challenge: L is for Leta LeVow

My theme for the A to Z April Challenge is “In-Laws and
Out-Laws – Friends of the Family.” I
will be researching friends, colleagues, neighbors - those people who came and
went touching my family’s lives in both small and large ways.

is for Leta LeVow.
Isn’t that a fantastic name? It
sounds exotic, like a movie star of the silent screen.

But Leta was far from a movie star. She was just an ordinary girl from
Waynesboro, Virginia who happened to be assigned to share the dorm room of my
grandaunt Velma Davis at Harrisonburg Teachers College (now James Madison
University). The many smiling photos in
Velma’s scrapbook suggest they got along famously.

Leta LeVow
"Smiling thro'"

Leta LeVow
"As high up as she'll get"

Velma and Leta were both in the 2-year program that would
allow them to teach elementary school for seven years before recertifying.

Scanned fromSchool Ma'am 1926

The quote beneath Leta’s graduation picture observed “Ever
studious was she, ever active too.” Leta
was a member of the Grammar Grade Club as well as the YWCA and Athletic
Association. Most interesting, however,
was that Leta was a member of the Page Literary Society. Membership in any of the literary societies
at HTC was by invitation only, so it was quite an honor. These societies were, in fact, the
forerunners of today’s sororities. Leta’s
club eventually became Sigma Sigma Sigma (Tri Sig), the oldest sorority at
today’s JMU.

Leta LeVow
Wellington Hall in the background

Leta was born March 10, 1907 in Marshalltown, Iowa, the
daughter of Russian immigrants who had been in the United States less than ten
years, naturalized citizens for three.
Her father was enumerated in various years as either a peddler or junk
dealer. But the man lived the American
dream becoming the proprietor of his own grocery and dry goods store as recorded
in the 1930 Waynesboro census.

Velma and Leta at Velma's house Shenandoah, Virginia, May 1925

Leta graduated from HTC in 1926, but in 1930 she was
living at home and apparently not working, certainly not teaching.

Leta attended Velma’s wedding and signed the guest
registry. Judging by the names
surrounding her signature, it was a regular class reunion.

At least by 1935 Leta had married Irving Steinberg. The two lived with his widowed mother in
Passaic, New Jersey. In the 1940 census,
Leta and Irving were parents to a son and daughter. Leta was at home while Irving ran the
Steinberg Grain and Feed Supply, a business apparently begun years before by
his father.

Leta died on March 28, 1995 in Passaic, a city she had
called home for over 60 years.

That is so neat she was at Velma's wedding. The picture of Velma and Leta looks like YOU and Leta! Genes are something, just don't end up looking like that Passport picture LOL. Great post girl. I think this is a terrific theme.

Leta LeVow now has entered the Internet and will forever live on thanks to you. I am also doing family and friends so their story is told for future generations. You do such a better job than I and I am truly enjoy reading your posts.

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About Me

My name is Wendy. About twenty years ago, I helped my mother research the Jolletts. Since retiring from teaching, I have expanded my research which I share here. When I’m not looking for my own family, I index for FamilySearch and the Greene County Historical Society.
Welcome to Jollett Etc. Please leave a comment to let me know you were here. If you have more information or believe we are related, EMAIL ME at wendymath at cox dot net